Miles Bryan

It was a bit windy, so we climbed into the back of John's Cadillac to chat.

It was a bit windy, so we climbed into the back of John's Cadillac to chat.

It was a bit windy, so we climbed into the back of John's Cadillac to chat.

John grew up here in the Lehigh Valley. He voted for Trump, and he likes what Trump's doing with the tariffs.

John grew up here in the Lehigh Valley. He voted for Trump, and he likes what Trump's doing with the tariffs.

John grew up here in the Lehigh Valley. He voted for Trump, and he likes what Trump's doing with the tariffs.

It's worth noting that he has seniority. He's not as worried about losing his job. But he says his job has gotten a little bit worse every year. You know, the pay doesn't go as far. The benefits aren't as good. And he's watched manufacturing jobs in this area, his home, dry up over the years. So he told me he's willing to tolerate a fair amount of pain in service of turning things around.

It's worth noting that he has seniority. He's not as worried about losing his job. But he says his job has gotten a little bit worse every year. You know, the pay doesn't go as far. The benefits aren't as good. And he's watched manufacturing jobs in this area, his home, dry up over the years. So he told me he's willing to tolerate a fair amount of pain in service of turning things around.

It's worth noting that he has seniority. He's not as worried about losing his job. But he says his job has gotten a little bit worse every year. You know, the pay doesn't go as far. The benefits aren't as good. And he's watched manufacturing jobs in this area, his home, dry up over the years. So he told me he's willing to tolerate a fair amount of pain in service of turning things around.

Yeah, it's already resonating politically. I met up with one local politician, a Democratic state representative named Josh Siegel, who's been all over this story. He sounded like every other Democrat in that he condemned Trump's tariffs as stupid and self-defeating.

Yeah, it's already resonating politically. I met up with one local politician, a Democratic state representative named Josh Siegel, who's been all over this story. He sounded like every other Democrat in that he condemned Trump's tariffs as stupid and self-defeating.

Yeah, it's already resonating politically. I met up with one local politician, a Democratic state representative named Josh Siegel, who's been all over this story. He sounded like every other Democrat in that he condemned Trump's tariffs as stupid and self-defeating.

But he said something interesting to me, which is he pointed out that this fixation on the fate of manufacturing jobs like at Mack Truck, it kind of misses the bigger economic picture. The biggest employers here now are hospitals and Amazon fulfillment centers. They're not factories.

But he said something interesting to me, which is he pointed out that this fixation on the fate of manufacturing jobs like at Mack Truck, it kind of misses the bigger economic picture. The biggest employers here now are hospitals and Amazon fulfillment centers. They're not factories.

But he said something interesting to me, which is he pointed out that this fixation on the fate of manufacturing jobs like at Mack Truck, it kind of misses the bigger economic picture. The biggest employers here now are hospitals and Amazon fulfillment centers. They're not factories.

And he was like, if we care about the working class, those are the jobs we should focus on improving, getting them to pay more and have more dignity and stature.

And he was like, if we care about the working class, those are the jobs we should focus on improving, getting them to pay more and have more dignity and stature.

And he was like, if we care about the working class, those are the jobs we should focus on improving, getting them to pay more and have more dignity and stature.

Well, I ran it by a few of them and surprise, surprise, they weren't very moved. Here's what John had to say.

Well, I ran it by a few of them and surprise, surprise, they weren't very moved. Here's what John had to say.